Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1887-01-28
LETTERS FROM THE CAPITOL.
ST.. PAUL Jan 20, 1887.

ST. PAUL, Jan. ~, 1891.
After a calm q storm. The quiet in legls-
lation which come from attention being
directed to the Senatorial election resulted
in rather lively work in both wings of the
capitol to-day. In the Senate the points at
issue We're two bills, one giving railway en-
ployees the same claims for damages from
the company if injured, that they would
have if pssse myers, and the other cutting
down the perquisites of the oil insp ector to
moderate salary and turning the fees paid
by the Standard Oil company into the state
treasury. In the effort to secure a bill to
give due protection to railroad employees,
the Senate came near OVERRIDING the matter
and defeating the whole measure but
better counsels prevailed and the bill finally
passed. There seems to be no doubt that
something will be done with the Oil
inspectorship. Capt. Castle, the late
incumbent having testified before the com
mittee that he had received in four years
over $50, 900 net, in fees, and over $4,000
last year, braced the committee up to report
the bill favorably which gives the inspector
treasury Senator Halverson wanted to
amend making the salary $4,000 and
Senator Bowen wanted it $1,000. The latter
thought the office had been used political
reward long enough and he did not
pense of the people to reward politicians.
The bill finally went back to the judiciary
committee for further consideration. In
the House the event of the day was the re-
port of the judiciary committee against MI.
Donnells constitutional amendment Civ
ing farmers free markets. Mr.. Donnelly
opposed the report with vigor, claiming
that combinations were formed which re-
stricted the price of grain and left the far
mers at the mercy of those in the ring. Mr..
,Hotr Of ffa cN,ISO
mittee defended the report. He said they
could legislate against combinations
without a constitutional amendment:
Combinations to control the price Of food
could be punished as conSplracles. be dc
MED the existence of such combinations. He
denied the existence of such cOnsplracles
end said the cities of st. Paul and Mlnneap-
oils were as much interested in the prosper
ity of the agricultural regions as the far.
mers themselves Mr.. DOnnelly retorted
that it was the same interest which
the grasshopper had when roosting on
fence watching the growing crops. He ik:
ened it further to the apocryphal incident OF
man who was registering at hotel and
found bed bug crawling over the book
looking up the rooms to which the latest
ing to his comrades where to find their vic
tins. These sallies brought down the
House and further argument was useless
The report of the committee was rejected
and by 81 affirmative votes the constitu
tiOnal amendment was ordered to its third
reading. Only five bills were introduced il
the Senate and but nine in the House. In
the Senate Messrs Day, Hoard and Ander
son were announced as the committee or
Agricultural College and Messrs Comstock
Gibson and johnson NJ: as the committee or
superintendent. The debates on the bills
named appeared to be regarded as fur
enough for one day and operations We're
suspended until tomorrow.